This is despite Toyota’s promise last summer to stop such financial support.
Toyota announced in July last year that it would no longer support lawmakers who question the outcome of the election. This was in response to pressure from critics, including the Lincoln Project advocacy group which dedicated itself towards defeating President Donald Trump’s re-election bid.
The company stated at the time that it understood that the PAC decision not to support certain members of Congress who contested results was troubling for some stakeholders. “We are listening to our stakeholders. We have decided to cease contributing to members of Congress who challenged the certification of certain States in the 2020 election.”
The Japanese automaker appears to have changed its mind eight months later. Toyota gave money in March to Rep. Jackie Walorski from Indiana, who voted to reverse the results of the January 6th 2021 election, Popular Information reported Monday. Walorski voted against Trump’s impeachment and against the creation of a bipartisan commission to investigate the insurrection.
Last month, the company contributed $1,000 to Tennessee Republican David Kustoff. Kustoff voted in line to Walorski’s votes on issues related to 2020 elections, according to a Federal Election Commission file. In March, Toyota’s PAC also gave money to Trent Kelly of Mississippi and Garrett Graves from Louisiana.
Toyota said Monday that it had resumed payments to some members after a six month pause. The company made the announcement via email to CBS MoneyWatch. The company stated that it would not support anyone who creates an environment that encourages violence through their words or actions.
The Lincoln Project was not influenced by the position. It is reviving a commercial in which it criticised Toyota’s contributions.
Toyota is being accused of financing a violent movement to seize votes from American customers.
The 2021 commercial was based on a report by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. It showed that in the three months preceding the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, Toyota had given $55,000 approximately three dozen Republicans who were challenging certification. According to progressive watchdog, the automaker donated twice as much to legislators who opposed certifying the election vote.
147 Republicans voted against the certification of the presidential election results after the January 6 attack. This was despite there being no evidence of fraud or manipulation of the voting. Many corporations, including Toyota, pledged to review their political donations and halt them.
According to Federal Election Commission filings, Toyota donated $1,000 to Arizona Republican Andy Biggs a month after the Capitol Siege. The integrity of the election has been challenged by the congressman.
